


You Left

by DisasterMages



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Human AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4454771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisasterMages/pseuds/DisasterMages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off a human au on my tumblr where Pearl and Peridot are in the same dance class as kids, but then Peridot is in an accident that leads to her legs being amputated. Pearl tries to visit her friend, but Peridot is becoming increasingly disinterested so Pearl ends up not coming back. They meet again, years after, but old feelings of abandonment, anger, and guilt resurface.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Left

Peridot gripped the bed sheets tightly. It didn't matter how much pain medication they gave her, the places where they amputated her legs still hurt, the nurse told her they would when she woke up. The clock ticking away on the wall drew Peridot's glance to the empty chair beside her.

Pearl would probably stop by after dance class and Peridot's mother had promised she would come immediately after work. They had to come, they were the only ones who visited her. Pearl had brought some of their cloddy classmates with her the time before the last, but since then Pearl had been coming alone.

The clicking of the doorknob made Peridot raise her head, maybe her mother had come early just for her? Or maybe Pearl was cutting dance class for once? The sight of familiar scrubs made her head fall back and the pit in her stomach grow.

Pearl had been late, "Amethyst needed someone to walk her home because Garnet was out sick today." had been her excuse. Peridot doubted it, but accepted her only visitor's apology all the same. If Pearl had been on time, they would've had an hour, maybe an hour and a half if Pearl begged her mother on the phone, but the sun was already setting and Pearl's mother demanded that she be home before the street lights came on.

"Do your legs hurt any less today?" Pearl asked, trying to make conversation. She was leaning forward and trying to look interested for Peridot's sake.

Peridot shrugged, "My mother made the doctor put me on a different medicine for it." Pearl nodded, pretending she understood. They sat in silence for about ten minutes, Pearl twiddling her thumbs and Peridot picking at little fuzz balls on her blanket.

The watch placed on Pearl's watch began beeping with an alarm, programmed by Pearl's mother, went off telling Pearl to start for home. "Pearl, I'm not coming back to dance class." Peridot stated, she'd purposefully waited this long to say it. Pearl wouldn't risk her mother's annoyance to stay behind and argue with her.

Pearl opened her mouth to argue but closed it when Peridot began to speak again, "The doctor and my mother both agree that it's for the best."

"Alright then, Peridot. I'll see you tomorrow." Pearl whimpered. Peridot lowered the bed into a laying position. She'd sleep until her mother came, however late that would be.

Pearl being late hat become a regular thing, "Garnet wanted to study with me." "Amethyst wanted me to walk home with her and Garnet." "I met a new friend, Rose, she's just wonderful and she asked me to walk with her!" were all excuses that made Peridot's throat ache with tears she wouldn't let out. She began to resent her once friend with every visit. Peridot was beginning to hate Rose and any mentions of her.

One day Pearl didn't come, or the day after that, or the next day. Peridot finally cried since she'd woken up without anything below her knees. Peridot missed her one friend that visited her. She'd let Pearl talk about Rose as much as she wanted if it meant she would come. She'd even let Garnet and Amethyst into her hospital room again if that meant she wasn't alone until her mother got off work.

It was nearly nine o'clock when her mother finally came in, though visiting hours didn't mean all that much to a woman as powerful as Diamond. Diamond held a gift wrapped box close to her. Peridot had been looking sullen lately, this would cheer her up, she hoped.

Diamond perched herself at the edge of the bed, shaking her daughter lightly to wake her. "I've got a present for you," she murmured as Peridot came out of a dead sleep. Every hint of being sleepy left Peridot as she opened the gift. It wasn't the old, clunky laptop that her mother let her play games on, no this one was brand new, bought and set up in the store new. 

Peridot struggled keeping her voice down as she thanked her mother. Diamond smiled, she couldn't buy Peridot a friend to replace the one that ditched her, but she can buy laptops and games, games with online connections for Peridot to make friends her own age.

Peridot was enthralled with the laptop and the internet, even after she was fitted with her prosthetics. She was soon so fascinated that she started figuring out how to get into trouble with it. Learning to code had been innocent enough, but Peridot took up hacking into mainframes and the like as a personal hobby. Diamond had finally hired her daughter into the IT portion of her company as a means of keeping her from breeching the Canadian government's database again.

It wasn't until her mother sent her off on a "business trip" to a town called Beach City that Peridot knew what became of Pearl. Peridot saw her from across the boardwalk being dragged by a twelve year old. The feeling of abandonment and faint anger pooled in Peridot's stomach. She stared only for a moment longer. Pearl was still one of the tallest in the crowd and beanpole thin, she'd changed her hair style since they were kids, but Peridot could still recognize her from a mile away.

Pearl's head swiveled in her direction and Peridot attempted to run, but the shoe covering her prosthetic caught a hole in the boardwalk and sent her flying to the ground. Peridot felt everyone's eyes on her as she attempted to wrestle her foot free from the splintered wood. The child Pearl had been with came running over, introducing himself as Steven and asking if she was okay. Peridot's shoulders were near her ears as she nodded silently, her lips pressed in a small frown. 

Pearl came rushing over next, her eyes widening as she realized who was sitting in front of her. "Peridot?" Pearl asked in utter amazement, her hands coming to rest on Steven's shoulder's as if to keep him from running off again. Peridot finally managed to stand up, taking a few steps back from the two of them. "It's been such a long time." Pearl announced, her smile reflecting guilt. She remembered what she did and so did Peridot.

Words she wanted to say stuck in Peridot's throat, the only one's that dared to bubble up and out were, "It has. I have to go." Peridot all but ran away, leaving Pearl and the child she was with behind her as she tried to find an empty spot. Her throat was burning. She didn't want to see Pearl. She was still angry with Pearl. Peridot had been holding onto being angry at her once friend since she was nine.

Peridot had managed to avoid Pearl for days, sticking only to what seemed to be the less popular places in this city. Avoiding her anymore seemed impossible as Peridot wandered onto the beach one night. Pearl was sitting by herself, and Peridot would've gotten away as fast as she could until she heard a choked sob. As dark as it was Peridot could still see Pearl's shoulders shake. Peridot treaded as lightly as prosthetics on sand would allow, debating whether or not to actually talk to Pearl.

Pearl picked up her head, looking up at Peridot with wet eyes and tear streaked cheeks. Peridot considered running all over again as Pearl scrubbed at her eyes. "No one is supposed to be on the beach this late." Pearl coughed, trying to cover up the warbling of her voice. Peridot stood beside her silently, not moving and Pearl placed her chin back on her knees. 

"Is Steven yours? I never thought you were the type to want kids." Peridot grunted. She didn't mention that Pearl was crying, she remembered Pearl hating it when people called attention to her crying.

Pearl smiled a little, "Yes and no, I guess. Biologically, he's Rose's son, but ever since she died, he may as well have been mine, and Garnet's and Amethyst's." Peridot nodded and silence resumed.

"I'm sorry for what I did while you were in the hospital." Pearl said suddenly.

Peridot bristled. "You left me there alone, you were my only friend, Pearl. Do you know how scared I was? Do you know how angry I am with you?"

"I know," Pearl gripped her elbows tighter, "it was a horrible thing to do, but I'm sorry Peridot, I can't take it back, I would if I could." There was a feeling hanging in the air that Pearl wasn't just apologizing to Peridot. Peridot's shoulders rolled forward and Pearl half expected her to walk away, but Peridot sank down into the sand beside Pearl.

"I'm sorry for hacking into and deleting your MySpace page when you were 13 then." Peridot muttered in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Pearl let out a halfhearted chuckle, "That was you? I should thank you, we both saw those pictures." 

They talked for hours, Pearl revealing what she'd been doing since they stopped speaking. She'd kept up with ballet and even signed onto a company after attending college, but she'd dropped everything when Rose told her she and Rose's other partner, Greg were expecting a child. Pearl told Peridot that Rose knew the pregnancy either wouldn't carry to term or she would die following the birth. Pearl had already begun mourning for Rose by the time Steven reached her arms.

The sky was beginning to turn pink when they finally finished. They were sitting closer now, their shoulders pressed together. Peridot hadn't fully forgiven Pearl and Pearl knew that Peridot would probably always resent her for that a bit.

Pearl forced herself not to think as she leaned and brushed her lips against Peridot's. Peridot made a noise of surprise and nearly lost her balance on the sand as Pearl pulled back. The sun had just peeked out through the clouds as Peridot sat in a state of awkward, but pleasant surprise next to Pearl.


End file.
